For some starting facts: this is lower than the normal market price. However the AH had some much cheaper uncut, so if I found a customer, I would be looking at at least a 50g profit. Sure it's less than if I joined the normal AH market, but I'm not inclined to post cheap gems; that just hurts the market for all of us. As far as I know, Auctioneer can't see trade channel. :P

I get a tell. Sweet!

[Tardala] i will buy[Falna] how many do you need?[Tardala] all

Let's stop here for a moment. At 220g for the cut gem and the raw gems not going any higher than maybe 200g, and at least 10 in the AH... cash register sounds were making me go deaf. But I kept my glee in check.

[Falna] just to make sure we're on the same page, you want [Runed Cardinal Ruby]?[Tardala] no

Wtf?

[Falna] that's what I am selling[Tardala] ic lol[Tardala] hi?[Falna] Hello.[Tardala] i said i want to buy

Did I just go back in time?

[Falna] you want to buy [Runed Cardinal Ruby]?[Tardala] offer[Falna] In trade chat I said I was selling [Runed Cardinal Ruby] for 220g. Do you want to buy [Runed Cardinal Ruby] for 220g?

Yes I was wordy. I wasn't going to start leaving anything to interpretation since we'd clearly ended up with a major disconnect here.

[Tardala] each?[Falna] yes[Tardala] oh sry pass

This left me shaking my head. WTF just happened? I don't see the problem with a hunter trying to buy them, maybe he thought he saw a deal for another character. At first I thought it was just one of those problems of someone misclicking in trade chat; it happens often enough (in both directions) that I check for it when a conversation makes no sense. There was no one near me in trade selling anything. With the "offer" and "each?" it made me think perhaps he was trying to buy cheap and resell* and was then shot down on that possibility. But then why the initial "no"? It just doesn't make any sense.

If it was entirely in trade chat or on the forums I'd think I'd been trolled.

* I'm almost certain that people have done this with me. I don't mind; they get it off my hands fast, there's no AH cut, and I get the gold instantly. They're the ones stuck trying to resell for enough profit to offset the AH cut, deposit (so they can't mark up too much or they risk losing it and profits with it), and the risk of having dumped gold into something that might fail. In my strange ethical set though, doing the same on the AH I'd be annoyed by unless I was intentionally undercutting just to trigger that.

I responded to "LF Blacksmith to make Titansteel Guardian" with my link and the offer to craft it for 20g if he had mats. The person requested I meet him in IF. When I got there, he said, "I hate mats they're so expensive." I said, "well, I don't usually do it with my own, and it will cost you more if I buy them." He said, KK. So I go on the AH, price it at 1400g, and make the offer with very little markup. He says, "Oh, I have to pay for the mats?" I said, yes, I can't craft it for free you know. If you don't have the mats, where do you think they come from?"

He actually kept trying to get me to make it for him for awhile, and even offered to 'increase' his tip to 30g if I made it (with my mats). He said, "KK"